Breeders’ Cup Classic Profile: Title Ready
In the days leading up to the 37th Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, usracing.com will profile the horses in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (Saturday, Nov. 7).
By Ed McNamara
If, like me, you eliminate no-hopers before trying to identify contenders, here’s No. 1 on your throw out list for the Classic. The only titles Title Ready will own is for longest odds and least chance to win.
Owner Charles Fipke, a Canadian prospector and geologist, became a multimillionaire by discovering diamonds in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories. He and trainer Dallas Stewart struck it rich with Forever Unbridled (2017 Distaff) and her dam, Lemons Forever (47-1 winner of the 2006 Kentucky Oaks). No way that happens with this horse, who’s 0-for-14 in stakes and a loser of 15 of his last 17 races.
Strange but true: Title Ready is the only one in the field with two wins at Keeneland. Then again, eight of his opponents never ran there. Handicapping insight: He won’t get his third on Saturday.
Worked at Churchill Downs on Oct. 31, going 4 furlongs in 48.40, 28th fastest of 162 at the distance.
RELATED: Breeders’ Cup 2020 Classic Profile: Tiz The Law
Jockey: TBD
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Owner: Charles Fipke
Career record: 22-4-6-4
Career earnings: $514,180
Top Equibase speed figure: 114
Pedigree: More Than Ready-Title Seeker, by Monarchos
Color: Dark bay
Running style: Closer
Notes: Stewart, a former assistant to D. Wayne Lukas, is a 61-year-old native of Mississippi who’s personable, articulate and funny . . . Stewart enriched exacta players with long-priced runners-up four times in the Triple Crown — Macho Again (40-1, 2008 Preakness); Golden Soul (34-1, 2013 Kentucky Derby); Commanding Curve (37-1, 2014 Derby) and Tale of Verve (28-1, 2015 Preakness). That’s a historic pari-mutuel grand slam . . . Fipke owned Golden Soul and Tale of Verve.
Breeders’ Cup Odds
| 1 | Tacitus | Jose Ortiz | 20-1 |
| 2 | Tiz the Law | Manuel Franco | 3-1 |
| 3 | By My Standards | Gabriel Saez | 10-1 |
| 4 | Tom’s d’Etat | Joel Rosario | 6-1 |
| 5 | Title Ready | Corey Lanerie | 30-1 |
| 6 | Higher Power | Flavien Prat | 20-1 |
| 7 | Global Campaign | Javier Castellano | 20-1 |
| 8 | Improbable | Irad Ortiz Jr | 5-2 |
| 9 | Authentic | John Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 10 | Maximum Security | Luis Saez | 7-2 |
Ed McNamara is an award-winning journalist who has been writing about thoroughbred racing for 35 years. He has handicapped races for ESPN.com, Newsday and The Record of New Jersey. He is the author of “Cajun Racing: From the Bush Tracks to the Triple Crown” and co-author of “The Most Glorious Crown,” a chronicle of the first 12 Triple Crown champions.
